1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processor, or in particular to an image processor having marker edition mode.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of image processors have been proposed for so-called marker edition. In marker edition mode, an operator marks an area in a document with a marker, and the area is subjected to a predetermined image processing such as coloring. For example, an image processor disclosed in Japanese Patent laid open Publication No. 7-131628/1995 recognizes an area in a document enclosed with a marker as an image processing area. An apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent laid open Publication No. 4-97262/1992 determines a rectangle which inscribes or circumscribes an area enclosed with a marker and recognizes the rectangle as an image processing area.
Image processing on an image in the image processing area is, for example, coloring, trimming or erasing. Further, in an apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent laid open Publication No. 4-80885/1992, characters in the image processing area are recognized, and they are translated.
However, in prior art image processors, it is troublesome for an operator to specify with a marker an image processing area which includes a desired image in a document, especially an area including a particular character or characters. For example, in the apparatus described in Japanese Patent laid open Publication No. 4-46462/1992, when an operator marks a desired area to specify a rectangular area including a character line "ABC" correctly in a document shown in FIG. 1A, it is necessary to enclose entire characters of "A", "B", "C". If the entire characters are not enclosed with a marker, as shown in FIG. 1B, a rectangular area circumscribing a closed area marked with the marker includes a part of the character line "ABC", as shown in FIG. 1C. If trimming is performed on the image in the rectangular image, only the partial image of the character line "ABC" is reproduced when an image of the document is reproduced on a paper, as shown in FIG. 1D. In the apparatus described in Japanese Patent laid open Publication No. 4-97262/1992, an operator is also required to specify an enclosed area with a marker correctly and carefully.